Do you eat before or after you exercise?

oceanbreeze22

I usually eat after I exercise and heard you should eat something before. Last week I tried something before and
got sick to my stomach. Maybe I ate the wrong thing I don't know.

BEFORE OR AFTER?

DavPul

It's a personal choice. I don't, my wife does. Either way is fine

PlayerHatinDogooder

Whichever allows you to get the most from your workout.

For me it's both.

But I'm always eating.

Hexahedra

Both. You need to eat before, but you shouldn't have a full meal closer than an hour from the exercise. You can work out on an empty stomach, but you might run out of steam depending on the duration and intensity of your activity.

JulesAlloggio

I usually eat about an hour before working out and then I do a post work out shake and apple right afterwards.

I need the energy to push through my work outs

darrensurrey

I usually eat after I exercise and heard you should eat something before. Last week I tried something before and
got sick to my stomach. Maybe I ate the wrong thing I don't know.

BEFORE OR AFTER?

Before and after.

But before would be at least an hour if not more before. If you eat too close to your training, you can feel sick.

KandieLantz

I eat after... I workout at 6 am.

oceanbreeze22

Maybe my problem was I ate right before.

CyberEd312

This is totally personal preference, I myself eating before... I also have type 2 diabetes so there is no way I am exercising fasted unless I want to be drooling into the carpet before the end of my workout... (speaking from experience here lol) but seriously do what works best for you....... :drinker:


Post workout I usually do a 1/2 cup of almonds and a glass of 1% chocolate milk.....

america_c

I do both. The before is usually mixed nuts at least 30 mins before and some fruit rifgt afterwards if it's cardio or protein shake if it's some sort of lifting.

mumtoonegirl

both, I typically have dinner at 6:30, go to the gym at 7:30 and then have my post workout smoothie at 9:00 when I get home. If I have too much of a break between dinner and workout because I have eaten earlier or gone to the gym later I have some PB or a protein before I go.

wswilliams67

I follow LeanGains and StrongLifts 5x5 and I lift at 5am or 6am... so I do IF with the 30g of BCAAs in the morning. LOVE IT! It really fits my lifestyle better.

patentguru

This is what I do: Before lifting weights- 1 hour before, protein; while I am walking into the gym, bannana or apple. After weights, protein shake, then eggs....

Before cardio: Apple about 15 minutes before, bananna at start of run.

Basically I try to avoid spiking my insulin.

Have fun.

Hexahedra

Maybe my problem was I ate right before.

That is the problem. One time I tried rushing it and exercise half an hour from a meal, it made me feel miserable. I can easily imagine getting sick when I exercise right after a full meal.

Also, unless you ingest plain sugar, the food you eat is not available for energy until about an hour anyway. Sugar is available for use in about 15 minutes.

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zentha1384

I eat something high in protein about an hour before working out (200-300 calories). Eating too close to working out can cause an upset stomach. Then I eat something else within an hour of working out, again high in protein (200-300 calories). The second meal I eat is low in fat because supposedly fat it more readily absorbed into the system than protein.

oceanbreeze22

Maybe my problem was I ate right before.

That is the problem. One time I tried rushing it and exercise half an hour from a meal, it made me feel miserable. I can easily imagine getting sick when I exercise right after a full meal.

Also, unless you ingest plain sugar, the food you eat is not available for energy until about an hour anyway. Sugar is available for use in about 15 minutes.

I ate a cheesy egg thing about 15 minutes before walking and 30 minutes into my walk I got sick to my stomach.
Not fun.

jody664

Both before and after.

However, if I eat before, I have to have at least 30 minutes (or ideally 1 hour) before my workout. I once ate *just* before my workout and about hurled on the gym floor. :blushing:

Crochetluvr

Definitely before....I feel nauseous if I don't.

luckydays27

I work out in the morning.

I eat a 250 cal muffin sandwich about 45 mins before I work out.
After my 550 cal burn (estimated) in the gym, I eat a 400 cal breakfast.
The rest of the day consists of slightly smaller meals and snacks.

If I dont eat first, I wont finish the workout or I wont give it my all because my juice will have run out.

BakerRunnerBadass

I eat after... I workout at 6 am.

This ^^

Zumaria1

I work out in the early evening, before dinner, and sometimes I'm hungry, so I will have a yogurt, or canned tuna, something light like that, then after I workout, I have my dinner.

SmartAlec03211988

After. I don't like exercising with food in my stomach.

Birdy989

My boyfriend is a bodybuilder and used to be a physical trainer. He told me that if losing weight is my number one goal, then I should do moderate cardio on an empty stomach. At the very least, if I need to eat, have protein and fat, but no carbs or sugar. If you eat carbs or sugar, then your body will burn that -- it looks for glucose first. If there's no glucose readily available to burn, then it will go after the stored body fat and convert that into the energy it needs (i.e. "burning fat.") If you eat a muffin or bagel before a brisk 30 minute walk or jog, then all you've done is burn off that muffin or bagel -- no real fat burning has taken place.

However, for strength training it's okay to have a light meal including complex carbs about 30 minutes before, and then eat simple carbs with protein afterward (like a protein shake and apple).

Ninguneado73

I work out too early to eat. If I go the gym after 9AM I try to eat something. Otherwise, I feel too tired to lift.

MoosieMooMama

I follow LeanGains and StrongLifts 5x5 and I lift at 5am or 6am... so I do IF with the 30g of BCAAs in the morning. LOVE IT! It really fits my lifestyle better.

This +whey protein on the way to the gym.

Because I can't dictate when my workouts are, I can't eat beforehand. While I try and work out between 10am and noon, something can come up and I have to go at 8:30, therefore if I just ate, it isn't good.

But then I am eating all day it seems.

lucianqueenjay

I was told by a fitness coach that you should workout two hours after eating which usually works for me. I usually do high impact aerobics so I feel weak close to the end when I don't eat before. I still eat after as well.

Sycoholic

Eating before means your body is fueled for your workout. You don't need to do this. Army, we do pt before breakfast. It can be tough eating before working out because it may not sit right with you. Your body diverts blood and this could lead to dumping too. Runners experience this and have to be very careful of what they eat, especially since they may wind up miles from a bathroom. You do want to eat afterwards though. Carbs and protein, especially protein. A benefit to working out after eating is maximizing your workouts because you're fueled. How can you expect to do max anything if you're running low on energy? I like to wait a couple hours after eating to be safe.

CoachMaxima

I eat before AND after.

Before - oatmeal or banana

After - apple or my Shakeology

ktliu

Breakfast before exercise.
Eggs, English muffins, yogurt, banana. (not all in one sitting of course.

BinaryPulsar

I eat before and after.